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Crypto-Friendly Bill Passes House—As Trump Courts Industry Amid Biden’s Crackdown

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Crypto-Friendly Bill Passes House—As Trump Courts Industry Amid Biden’s Crackdown

Topline

The House passed legislation Wednesday evening that would give oversight authority over most forms of cryptocurrency to a more industry-friendly agency—potentially putting President Joe Biden in the difficult position of deciding whether to go against his own SEC chairman and refuse a veto as former President Donald Trump courts the industry in his 2024 presidential campaign.

Key Facts

The House voted 279-136 to pass the “Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act,” with 71 Democrats and 208 Republicans voting in favor of the legislation.

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The legislation would put most forms of cryptocurrency, including bitcoin, under the regulatory purview of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission by classifying them as commodities, rather than securities that would fall under the authority of the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has executed a crackdown on the industry under Biden.

Lawmakers who supported the bill touted it as a way to clarify regulatory authority for digital assets, with digital assets subcommittee chair Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., calling it perhaps “the most substantial piece of digital asset legislation in Congress’s history,” he told Forbes previously, noting Trump supports the bill.

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Chief Critic

The SEC’s crypto crackdown, which includes a series of charges against companies and individuals it accuses of violating federal regulations, has become a new attack line for Trump against Biden as the former president courts crypto backers, telling them at a Mar-A-Lago dinner earlier this month they “better vote” for him, Politico reported. SEC Chair Gary Gensler opposed the House legislation, arguing Wednesday it would allow crypto issuers to “self-certify” that they are issuing crypto as a commodity rather than a security, giving the SEC a limited 60-day window to review the classification.

Crucial Quote

“The self-certification process contemplated by the bill risks investor protection not just in the crypto space; it could undermine the broader $100 trillion capital markets by providing a path for those trying to escape robust disclosures, prohibitions preventing the loss and theft of customer funds, enforcement by the SEC, and private rights of action for investors in the federal courts,” Gensler said Wednesday.

Tangent

Trump’s campaign began accepting crypto donations Tuesday, urging his supporters in making the announcement to “build a crypto army.”

What We Don’t Know

Whether the Democratic-controlled Senate will pass the legislation. Eight House Democrats who backed the bill urged their Senate colleagues to support it in a memo Tuesday, CoinDesk reported. In a potential bellwether for the House bill, 11 Senate Democrats, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., voted alongside Republicans earlier this month to undo crypto SEC regulations, splitting with Biden, who said he’ll veto the bill, which also passed the House with bipartisan support.

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Key Background

Trump has embraced crypto after criticizing the industry during his time as president, tweeting in 2019 that he’s “not a fan of Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies, which are not money, and whose value is highly volatile and based on thin air.” He has since launched a line of NFT “trading cards” featuring his likeness and his $7 billion net worth is comprised of about $3 million in digital assets, according to a March Forbes estimate. The Biden administration, meanwhile, has taken a measured approach to crypto, acknowledging its explosive growth and the need for the U.S. to “maintain technological leadership in this rapidly growing space,” while also warning it “has substantial implications for consumer protection, financial stability, national security, and climate risk,” the White House wrote in a 2022 executive order.

Further Reading

House To Vote On Who Will Regulate Crypto (Forbes)

Trump Campaign Now Accepts Crypto Donations (Forbes)

Crypto

Driving the Cryptocurrency Ecosystem: Incubation and Support Strategies of SILEGX Exchange

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Driving the Cryptocurrency Ecosystem: Incubation and Support Strategies of SILEGX Exchange

DENVER, Nov. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Recently, SILEGX Exchange announced its latest incubation and support strategies aimed at fostering the development of the global cryptocurrency ecosystem by promoting blockchain startups and establishing close partnerships. As a leading platform in the industry, SILEGX is committed to accelerating the growth of innovative projects and providing sustained momentum for the entire cryptocurrency sector through comprehensive support in technology, funding, and market promotion.

The incubation program of SILEGX Exchange focuses on providing holistic support to blockchain startups, helping them overcome early-stage developmental challenges. This program ensures that these startups can quickly enter the market and gain broad recognition through financial investment, technical support, and strategic guidance. SILEGX not only offers these enterprises technical resources but also leverages its global influence to help them connect with other partners in the industry. Through this strategy, SILEGX creates more opportunities for innovation in the blockchain sector, propelling the rapid advancement of new technologies.

In addition, SILEGX enhances its support for startups through collaborations with industry-leading companies and research institutions. The platform regularly organizes seminars and technical exchange events with academia, tech developers, and investors, helping entrepreneurial teams access more industry resources and technical insights. This cross-disciplinary cooperation not only provides startups with a stage to showcase innovative technologies but also offers crucial support for the sustainable development of the cryptocurrency industry.

To ensure the success of its incubator projects, SILEGX Exchange has established a dedicated incubation team responsible for tracking the progress of startups and providing tailored solutions. The core objective of this team is to help startups transform innovative ideas into viable market products, driving technological advancement and market expansion in the cryptocurrency industry. Through multi-level incubation support, SILEGX brings more forward-looking solutions to the industry, solidifying its position as a catalyst for blockchain technology innovation.

The support strategy of SILEGX not only aids numerous startups but also further advances the maturity and expansion of the global cryptocurrency ecosystem. As the cryptocurrency industry rapidly evolves, SILEGX will continue to play a pivotal role, becoming a crucial force in driving blockchain innovation and technological progress.

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Media Contact:
Company Name: SILEGX CRYPTO TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD.
Company website: https://www.silegx.org
Contact Person: Maria
Email id: maria@silegx.org

Disclaimer: This content is provided by sponsor. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/24a7e144-bf4c-451b-973a-1de864a7957a

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An Ohio man guilty of Bitcoin laundering must forfeit over $400 million in assets

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An Ohio man guilty of Bitcoin laundering must forfeit over 0 million in assets

An Ohio man named Larry Dean Harmon will serve three years in prison and forfeit more than $400 million worth of cryptocurrency and other assets, the Department of Justice announced on Friday. Harmon was indicted in 2020 on money laundering conspiracy charges related to Helix, a darkweb cryptocurrency “mixer” service he ran.

Also known as crypto “tumbling,” services like Helix are designed to hide cryptocurrency transactions — often for illegal drugs — and the identity of people involved. From 2014 to 2017, Harmon processed more than 350,000 Bitcoin (about $311 million USD at the time) in such transactions, according to the DOJ’s announcement.

Harmon, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in August 2021, will be on the hook for three years of supervised release after serving his prison sentence. He also received a $311,145,854 forfeiture money judgment.

He faced a possible 20 years in prison, but the judge in the case gave him a more lenient sentence after he helped with multiple other investigations, as The Wall Street Journal notes. That reportedly included his testimony in the trial of Roman Sterlingov, who ran another crypto mixer called Bitcoin Fog.

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Cryptocurrency trader turns $1.1k into $1.62 million in 20 days

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Cryptocurrency trader turns .1k into .62 million in 20 days

Through precise identification of opportunities, a cryptocurrency trader has capitalized on the ongoing market momentum to record over 1,400-fold returns on their initial investments.

The anonymous investor turned a modest $1,100 into a staggering $1.62 million within 20 days by capitalizing on the ongoing meme cryptocurrency rally, according to data shared by Lookonchain on November 17. 

The traders’ returns began with their investment in the Solana (SOL)-based meme coin Urolithin A (URO). In late October, they spent 4.35 SOL ($768) to purchase 16.44 million URO. 

Doubling down on their belief in the token, they converted all their meme coin holdings into URO. Their investment paid off, as the URO holdings are now worth $572,000, yielding a 714-fold return.

URO/SOL pair on Raydium. Source: DexScreener

The trader also made significant gains with Rifampicin (RIF), investing 1.8 SOL ($300) to acquire 11.84 million tokens. After RIF surpassed a $100 million market cap, the trader sold 1 million tokens for 94,335 USDC, leaving 10.84 million RIF valued at $957,000. This maneuver resulted in a 3,503-fold return.

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RIF/SOL pair on Raydium. Source: DexScreener

Combined, the bets on URO and RIF have netted a profit of over $1.6 million at a time when the two meme coins have experienced explosive growth. These transactions, paired against Solana, occurred on Raydium, an automated market maker (AMM).

By press time, URO was valued at $0.02939 and had a market cap of almost $30 million. On the other hand, RIF had a valuation of $0.07849 and a market cap of $78 million.

Rising meme coins’ popularity 

The growth has generally stemmed from the popularity of Solana-based meme coins and the overall bullish sentiment across the cryptocurrency market.

Meme coins have been among the market’s biggest performers in recent weeks, as highlighted by data shared by Ali Martinez. In an X post on November 16, Martinez pointed out that meme coins outperformed the market in the past week, delivering returns of 63.71%.

Crypto sector performance. Source: Ali_charts

This momentum has been further fueled by the listing of several meme coins on the Binance crypto exchange, which exposes them to greater liquidity and visibility. 

For instance, the impact of such listings was evident with Peanut the Squirrel (PNUT), which joined the $1 billion market cap club following its Binance listing.

Interestingly, there has been a growing trend of investors earning massive profits from select meme coins in recent weeks. While some of these trades can be attributed to strategy and luck, there are speculations that some returns might be due to insider trading activity.

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In such cases, certain individuals may have had prior information, such as a planned listing of a meme coin on a major exchange and accumulated tokens beforehand.

As reported by Finbold, possible insider trading incidents have been reported with meme coins such as Goatseus Maximus (GOAT) and Daddy Tate (DADDY).

Featured image via Shutterstock 

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